A Year in the Garden
smithsgore.co.uk Country property sales
March General
Vegetables
• Spring clean the garden, • Fork over the soil in borders, weed and mulch • Divide snowdrops ‘in the green’
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Lawn • • •
Clear molehills and worm casts, remove debris Redefine edges Weather permitting make first cut and begin regular mowing
Prepare the soil and beds, then sow lettuce, rocket, radishes, spring onions, leeks, onions, broad beans, parsnips, spinach and turnips Harvest sprouting broccoli, swiss chard and the last of the brussels sprouts Sow hardy herbs and plant and divide perennial herbs
Beds • • • • • •
Prune modern roses, buddleja, willow (salix) and dogwood (cornus), large flowered clematis Tidy up overgrown climbers Plant summer flowering bulbs and bareroot plants Protect new spring shoots from slugs Sow hardy annuals and wildflowers Top dress containers with fresh compost
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
April General • • •
Keep on top of weeding and hoeing Feed roses, borders, hedges, trees, shrubs and spring bulbs with general purpose fertiliser Tidy up hedges and clip if necessary
Lawn • • •
Mow on a weekly basis weather permitting (really mild) otherwise every other week Feed grass Treat moss and weeds and re-seed bare patches
• Prune winter jasmine and hydrangea • Plant tender summer flowering bulbs and bareroot plants Vegetables • •
Sow broad beans, summer cabbage, early peas, cauliflower, and early potatoes. Also plant asparagus crowns and globe artichokes Water and hoe regularly, thin out and transplant seedlings
Beds • • •
Tidy up the borders, dust a light dressing over any bare soil in between shrubs, roses, ever greens and climbers, lightly fork in Continue to plant perennials Continue to prune roses, before the middle of the month
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
May General • Keep on top of weeding and hoeing • Mulch borders to suppress weeds and conserve moisture • Plant out sweet peas • Clip hedges (later in month) Lawn • Feed lawns • Remove weeds and mow weekly
flowering bulbs • Keep young plants growing strongly by liquid feeding regularly • •
Prune lavender back hard, but never cut into old wood Keep an eye on roses and treat them as soon as you see a pest or disease
Vegetables
• • Beds • Prune forsythia after flowering • Tie in new growth of climbers • • Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs • • Divide agapanthus • Once all risk of frost has passed plant out and • stake dahlias • Support perennials • Continue dead-heading and feeding spring
Plant out courgettes and tomatoes Sow root vegetables, leaf vegetables and sweetcorn - always sow sweetcorn in blocks rather than rows to assist pollination Plant out globe artichokes in rich soil, allowing a metre square for each plant Sow a little basil, coriander and parsley seed every fortnight to enjoy continual supplies Sow climbing French beans, courgettes, cucumbers, leeks, runner beans, squash and sweetcorn direct into soil
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
June General
Vegetables
• Water and deadhead plants • Weeding • Water in dry spells
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Lawn • Mow regularly • Water and feed new lawns Beds • • • • •
Sow lettuce, rocket, spring onion, radish, peas, swede, endive, calabrese, sweetcorn, beans courgettes, squash and pumpkins Harvest asparagus Harvest lettuce, radish, other salads and early potatoes Prune fan trained apple or pear trees if necessary
Remove suckers from roses Prune many spring-flowering shrubs Prune clematis montana if necessary Fill gaps in borders with bedding plants Take softwood cuttings of shrubs and sow seeds (earlier for annuals)
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
July General
• Cut back early-flowering perennials to the • Prepare the garden if you are going away, water ground and they will send up fresh leaves and maybe even the bonus of some extra well, set up irrigation late-summer flowers Lawn • Support tall flowers • Raise the level of mower blades during hot, Vegetables dry spells • Pick courgettes before they become marrows • Avoid watering the lawn, except in very hot • Sow more main crop carrots, early peas, spring dry spells cabbage, turnips, lettuce, radishes Beds • • • • • •
Prune and deadhead roses Prune philadelphus and wisteria Cut out flowered stems of perennials such as lupins and delphiniums as they go over Plant autumn flowering bulbs Cut lavender for drying Trim hedges
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
August General • Water and feed plants frequently (not lawn) • Weed the borders
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Lawn
Vegetables
• Mow lightly and frequently so that short grass clippings can remain on the lawn during hot summers to act as a moisture-retentive mulch Beds • • • •
Dead-heading – regularly de-heading flowers like roses, dahlias and pelargiums will help them to keep flowering well into the autumn. Be sure to remove dead flowers quickly Collect seed from favourite plants Prune wisteria and pyracantha after flowering Prune climbing and rambling roses that do not repeat flower or produce attractive hips, once the flowers have finished
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Hardy geraniums can be cut back a little to remove tired leaves and encourage a new flush of growth Trim lavenders Start planting autumn and winter vegetables such as green onions, carrots, beetroot, radishes, spinach, and lettuce Harvest away – be sure to harvest fruit and vegetables regularly
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
September General • • • •
If the weather is already autumnal, you can now plant and move shrubs Give evergreen hedges a final trim Thoroughly soak drought-stressed plants and shrubs, especially newly planted ones Good garden hygiene helps to prevent disease, so it is vital to throw out or destroy affected leaves. Do not compost them or leave them lying, as this could spread the disease
branches can be cut back to a couple of buds • Deadhead dahlias regularly • Plant daffodils Vegetables • • • •
Harvest marrows, courgettes, sweetcorn, beans, lettuce, rocket, spring onions Plant spring cabbage Cut down asparagus foliage Sow overwintering onions
Lawn • Once the dry weather is over, now is the time to scarify and spike the lawn and apply lawn feed Beds • Climbing roses can be pruned once they have finished flowering; sideshoots from the main
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
October General
Beds
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Tidy borders Start your compost Prepare your soil for next year Plant container grown shrubs, trees, fruit bushes, perennials and bulbs
Lawn • • • •
Last chance to mow lawns and trim hedges in mild areas Reduce mowing, to once every two weeks, raise the blades Remove leaves off the lawn, as they stop the lawn turning yellow In colder areas, this is the last opportunity to scarify, aerate and dress lawns
Plant daffodils, narcissus bulbs and crocus corms Dig up and divide overcrowded perennials, hostas etc Plant hardy summer flowering bulbs Prune late-summer flowering shrubs Divide herbaceous perennial and fibrous rooted perennials
Vegetables • • • • •
Lift potatoes and jerusalem artichokes Leave carrots and parsnips in the ground until you need them Pumpkins and squash leave as late as possible before cutting Dig over autumn beds that have been cleared Plant spring cabbage
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
November General
Beds
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• Plant hyacinths and tulips, lily bulbs • Lift and store dahlias • Prune back roses, finish in March
Carry out winter digging or forking over Winterise the garden, check the garden over for anything that may be at risk from water logging, cold or wind Plant and move bare-root trees, shrubs, roses and hedging Prune deciduous trees if necessary
Lawn • • •
Vegetables • Plant garlic • Harvest leeks and brussel sprouts and by the end of the month dig up carrots and parsnips
Keep off the lawn if possible Clear fallen leaves Continue cutting the grass if its still growing, raise the blades
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
December General
Beds
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• Remove dead leaves from the tops of plants • Protect young and tender plants from cold and wet
Continue to dig over vacant ground if soil is workable Clear debris Rake up leaves Wrap insulation around outside taps
Vegetables
• Harvest brussels sprouts, Christmas broccoli, parsnips and leeks • Give the lawn mower a maintenance check, and • Force chicory service for the spring Lawn
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
January General
Vegetables
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Carry out repair jobs Treat, paint fences, garden furniture, sheds Plan your vegetable patch Clean slippery paths
Chit first early seed potatoes for forcing in pots under glass for the very earliest new baby spuds Order seeds from catalogues Prune standard apple and pear trees
Lawn • Keep off the grass Beds • • •
Order seeds from mail order catalogues Prune wisteria Prune out of control ivy, virginia creeper, climbing hydrangea
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
February General
Vegetables
• Finish off winter digging • Make new beds and borders • Order plants
• Prepare soil for early sowing • Plant shallots and jerusalem artichokes • Clean out greenhouse
Lawn • Keep off the lawn Beds • • • •
Prune certain clematis Brush snow off conifers, large evergreens to avoid breakage Prune old shrubs, climbers and deciduous hedges Cut old leaves off hellebores
Country property sales, Smiths Gore Weyhill office t 01264 774900 e andover@smithsgore.co.uk
If you are thinking of buying or selling a property please contact Nick, Fin and Olivia on 01264 774900 or e-mail andover@smithsgore.co.uk
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